When You Least Expect It
by Carlee Adison
Summary: CONTINUED EXCLUSIVELY ON ARCHIVEOFOUROWN. When graduate student Jason picks up his niece from dance class, his life is turned upside down—and that may or may not have to do with the incredibly hot and gay dance teacher. The problem? He doesn't seem interested in Jason. Dance is Nico's priority. Always has been. But gods, if Jason isn't the most persistent guy in the whole universe.
1. An Unexpected Meeting

_A/N: Here is the first chapter of that dance AU I've been talking about. I didn't expect to be writing this before finishing Murder Suspect but SOMEONE (who totally knows who he is) has been very adamant about this story and so SOMEONE is getting his long awaited fic (Happy Birthday). This won't be as long as Murder Suspect (she said hopefully) but it is going to have multiple chapters, so I'll have to divide my time between the two stories. Anyway, hope you all enjoy!_

* * *

**Chapter One: An Unexpected Meeting**

Olympic Dance Studio. That was what the sea-green sign hanging over the front door read. The building itself was nothing too special, a single story probably only big enough for one or two dance rooms—or whatever they were called. The studio was placed neatly between a bakery and a baby clothing store and looked nothing at all like a place Jason wanted to spend his Thursday night.

Thalia _so _owed him for this.

Sure, Jason hadn't had any cement plans per se—as a full-time grad student working toward his masters in Classics, he rarely actually went out with friends, but he also rarely left his apartment to begin with. Naturally, a last minute outing to pick up his six year old niece from her dance class did not rank very high on Jason's list of fun.

Jason didn't see himself as having much of a choice, however. No one dared tell Thalia Grace no, and that included her younger brother. Heaving a great sigh, Jason walked through the front door.

The young woman sitting behind the welcome desk pushed her glasses up her nose and appraised Jason. "Can I help you?" She asked in a chipper yet somewhat confused voice. She probably hadn't seen many twenty-two year old guys pass through the studio in her days, Jason figured. Maybe she thought Jason was a pedophile. The whole ordeal did seem a little pedophilic, he had to admit.

"Uhhh, I'm here to pick up my niece?" Jason said, hating the way it sounded like a question. _Yeah,_ _I'm here to abduct a young girl. Got any of those? _"Her name is Zoë Grace."

"Oh," the receptionist girl said, apparently relieved that Jason wasn't some kind of creep. "She's in room two, they should be done in five minutes or so. The room has a one-way mirror, if you'd like to watch." She motioned down a small hallway, where lo-and-behold, a group of seven or so woman stood watching with mild interest.

"Okay, thanks, uh…"

"Mellie," the girl chirped.

"Thanks Mellie."

Watch the little girls dance? Stand with the housewives and listen to them gossip? Yeah, Jason would go sit on one of those lovely and unoccupied benches.

He tried to imagine Thalia standing up there, with her choppy dyed black hair and ripped jeans and spiked leather jacket and nose ring. She probably also waited on the bench. If only she were here today, they could have started a club. Then again, if she were here Jason wouldn't need to be.

_Speak of the devil, _he thought as his prone vibrated in his pocket.

_Hey, did you get there okay?_

_**Yes, **_Jason replied, _**you better sing my praises for this.**_

_I already sing your praises, little bro._

_**;)**_

"A homosexual, surely," one of the moms standing by the window muttered, causing Jason to freeze. Was she talking about him? All he had done was walk in and sit down. Could he be _that_ obvious?

He didn't see how, considering his own parents hadn't realized until Jason's senior year of high school, when his stepmother arrived home early and accidentally walked in on Jason and his boyfriend at the time having sex.

Even that seemed like a fond memory compared to this. Sure, Jason loved spending time with Zoë, but being around the shallow housewives while they pretended that the other mothers' daughters were good dancers with their fake little smiles and transparent compliments reminded Jason of being a kid again. Reminded him of always going over to friends' houses and worrying that their mothers hated him, that somehow they knew Jason was unlike the other boys. He always felt like they were judging him.

He still did.

Only, these women weren't looking at Jason. In fact, he didn't think a single one had even noticed him. How curious. Jason stood, approaching the group of moms while still keeping a safe distance. He peered through the window-mirror for the first time. Through the glass Jason saw the other walls, also covered mostly by mirrors, which disoriented him momentarily. In the center of the room a dozen girls—all around six or seven years old—danced somewhat clumsily, kicking their legs up in what probably should have been unison, but wasn't. The sight made Jason chuckle. Zoë stood among them, a bright smile on her face as she glided forward. Funny, Jason could have sworn this was a ballet class, but the way they danced lent itself more toward jazz.

And then Jason's eyes landed on the instructor.

_Holy. Fucking. Shit._

Jason hadn't known what he'd expected—an elderly woman perhaps, with some severe ballerina bun, or maybe a young high-school age girl with a perky upturned nose and overly wide smile.

He'd never imagined that the dance teacher could be a… guy.

A hot, hot, _fucking hot as hell _guy.

He had black hair, and not the dyed kind either, genuine black hair, which was pulled back into a small ponytail and only marginally darker than his eyes. Jason watched in awe as he danced with the kind of focus usually reserved for brain surgeons. Smoke alarms could be going off and the dark haired dancer wouldn't even blink. While the little girls were unbalanced and slightly unsynchronized in their motions, the teacher's lithe form moved like water, gliding through the moves with a fluid grace that completely dominated Jason's attention.

And all Jason could think was: _please, for the love of gods, be over eighteen. _Jason could barely remember the last time he'd wanted someone so badly.

He tore his eyes away long enough to message his sister.

_**Holy shot. **_

_**Holu shit***_

_**Holy shit!***_

He could barely keep his eyes on the cell phone. Not while he could be admiring _him. _

Thalia texted back almost immediately.

_Lol, I'll take it you noticed the instructor?_

_** !**_

Back in the room, the dance came to an end, much to Jason's disappointment. His phone vibrated again.

_His name is Nico. He's gay. And in college. You're welcome._

Nico. Even his name was appealing. Yeah, Jason could definitely fuck a Nico.

_Wait a minute…_ Jason glanced between the phone and Nico.

That little evil mastermind.

_**You didn't even have to work late, did you?**_

_Nope. You're welcome! ;)_

Jason didn't know if he wanted to kill his meddling sister or hug her.

Then he glanced down at his own appearance—gray sweatpants, navy hoodie, wearing his glasses instead of his contacts—and decided that he'd definitely kill her. She could have fucking warned him he'd be meeting the hottest gay guy this side of Berkeley.

The girls gathered around and began to head for the door, with Nico at the back of the group. He appeared to be telling the girls something, but Jason couldn't hear him. Gods, he could only imagine what Nico's voice sounded like.

The door opened and the first of the girls came skipping into the waiting area. The fourth one out was Zoë, who completely lit up upon seeing Jason. "Uncle Jason!" She squealed, jumping up for a hug. Jason chuckled and caught her, momentarily distracted from his Nico fixation.

"Hey, shorty," he said, hugging her briefly before placing her back on her feet. The six year old crossed her arms.

"Uncle Jason, I'm one of the tallest girls in class. You're just a giant!"

Jason prepared to tell her that she would always be short to him when Nico finally exited the dance room. It was a good thing he'd already returned his niece to her feet or he just may have dropped her. If possible, Nico was even more gorgeous close up. His pale skin glistened—probably with sweat, but that didn't matter to Jason. It was hot the way strands of hair stuck to his forehead. In fact, Jason wouldn't mind to see the dancer sweaty in a whole other environment. _Get your mind out of the damn gutter, _he chided himself.

Suddenly, those big dark eyes locked on Jason and the dancer stumbled forward on his next step, his eyes widening in the most alluring way. Jason figured he should like, smile at him or something, but he couldn't seem to make his mouth muscles work. _Wow, _he thought. Despite the fact that they were surrounded by little girls and their uptight mothers, Jason wanted to go up to Nico, push him against the nearest wall, and kiss him senseless. And well, maybe a little more than just that.

About five seconds later he came to his senses and realized he was still staring at the dance teacher. Patting Zoë's head affectionately, he steeled up his nerves and approached Nico, who also seemed to have composed himself. The young man had an indifferent expression on his face, so much the opposite of the passion and focus from when he'd danced before. Jason yearned to see that intensity again—wondered if he'd look like that in the bedroom.

Okay, maybe thirteen months had been a little too long to go without sex, Jason realized. This guy was literally a complete stranger and here Jason was, imagining all the things he'd like to do with him.

Jason came to a stop in front of the dark haired male, cursing himself for deciding to come flirt with the hot dancer while he was in such ratty clothes. Not to mention that with his glasses on Jason probably looked like an absolute fucking idiot. Certainly, Jason could have made a better first impression than this.

"Hi," he greeted. Not even a hey. Who even said "hi" anymore? Gods, he probably already sounded like a loser. "I'm Jason, Zoë's uncle."

Nico quirked an eyebrow, crossing his arms over his chest. "You and Thalia hardly look alike," he observed, which wasn't untrue. Other than the vivid blue color of their eyes, Jason and Thalia couldn't look less alike. Jason's friend Piper has one said that Jason had the typical All-American boy look going on (If the All-American boy were gay, she had laughed), while Thalia resembled some sort of punk rock fairy.

"Yeah, I'm a little taller," Jason replied, which was probably the worst joke in all of history.

Nico looked confused. "Is there anything I can do for you, Jason?"

_Holy shit yes, repeat that statement on your knees while you're pulling my pants down. _

"I just wanted to say that I saw you dancing at the end. You're really good."

Jason needed to get a grip. He was far too horny all of a sudden. Soon enough it would start to show. Probably not a good idea to get turned on in a dance studio full of little girls…

"Well, I'd hope so," Nico retorted, though he didn't meet Jason's eyes. Had his ears been red before? He pushed a damp bang away from his eyes. "I _am_ the teacher. And a dance major."

"Do you go to Berkeley? I do, but I'm getting my master's now."

"Congratulations. And yes, but that's kind of implied considering we're all of one and a half miles from campus, isn't it?"

Jason's cheeks flushed with warmth. "Oh, right."

"Uncle Jason!" Zoë called, coming up behind him and tugging on his hoodie, "Did you see me dance? Mr. Nico started teaching us this new routine and we're going to have a recital in December! You'll come, right?"

"Of course I will," he replied, looking away from Nico momentarily to smile at the girl. Even if it hadn't been for the hot teacher, Jason would have been happy to support his niece. Zoë had been one of Jason's most important people since the day she was born. Growing up without any father in the picture, he felt a special responsibility to her.

She hugged him tightly. "Yay! Yay! I have to get my bag! I'll be right back. We better get ice cream!" The girl scampered off.

Jason turned back to the dark haired boy, who appeared rather indifferent. Not exactly the easiest guy to talk to, Jason mused. "So," Jason said, "Do you like ice cream? Or like, dinner? Or uh, I mean, do you… date?"

Oh yeah, Jason was the _smoothest._

Both of the dancer's eyebrows shot up. "You're asking me out?"

Jason felt far too warm in his hoodie and sweatpants. "Uh, maybe. I mean, I don't normally look like this. I mean, I clean up nicely, uh…" Shit, Jason had no game. None at all. Once upon a time he'd had little trouble talking to hot guys. Once upon a time he got laid more than once every thirteen months.

Nico looked at Jason as if he were some particularly confusing dance routine. Around them, mothers and daughters were leaving, the little girls yelling out goodbyes to each other while their mothers typed away on cell phones. And Jason, Jason was frozen.

"You don't even know me," Nico stated.

"Well, I'd be interested in getting to know you…" Jason smiled genuinely at the dancer, which wasn't a lie. There was something intriguing about Nico, and it wasn't just the fact that Jason wanted to get him in his bed.

For a moment, both of them were silent. Then Nico schooled his features and declared, in one breath, "I don't have time to date, especially not the uncles of my students."

He walked away without a word. Jason deflated, his shoulders slumping and his eyes hopelessly following the awkward escape the younger man was making. The fluidity of his body during the dance routine seemed like a distant memory now. Just like Jason's dignity.

...

"Complete rejection, Thals. I totally fucked up. Like, I could barely even talk. It was humiliating."

Thalia Grace stretched out her legs across the couch, sipping her wine casually. "I'm sure it wasn't that bad, Jay Jay."

Jason rubbed his forehead. Maybe he needed some wine before he left, too. "No, it was literally that bad. And I told you, stop calling me that, I'm twenty-two years old, not eight."

Thalia snorted. "You ever consider you're just being a drama queen? Hey, remember the time Dad actually gave decent advice? What do you do when you fall off the horse?"

"Sue the person who sold you the horse?" Jason offered, pouring himself a glass of Merlot.

"Jason, stop being such a quitter!" Thalia scolded, smacking his arm lightly. "You're young, you're good looking, you're smart, and you know, you used to have a sense of humor. At one point."

Jason bristled. "What does that mean?" Just because Jason cared about school and spent a lot of time studying, didn't mean he was a _complete_ stick in the mud.

He hoped.

"It means that you've been out of the game for a while. You're out of practice, but I know for a fact that you can be funny… and charming, too. What you're lacking, little brother, is some confidence."

"Complete rejection, Thalia. He said he doesn't date people with relations to his students, remember?"

The black-haired girl rose and reached for the TV remote, switching it off. "That's such a bullshit excuse, Jay Jay. There's no rule against it. My bet is that, as cute as he may be, that little dance teacher is just as removed from the dating world as you are. He might even be more wound up than you."

"Ha ha," Jason remarked.

"Just try, okay? If you want to get to know him, or date him, or whatever you want to do with him, try again. I'm pretty sure Mr. 'I'm Getting My Master's Degree' doesn't give up so easily."

How could Jason say no to that? "Fine, fine, I'll give it another shot. But I doubt anything will come from it."

Thalia smirked to herself, looking more smug than the Cheshire Cat. Jason gulped. That was the face of a woman up to no good. "Well, if anything does come from it, I'm expecting you to take Zoë and I out for a steak dinner."

"Fine."

"I think I'll order a filet."

…

Looking back on the evening, Nico di Angelo wished he hadn't even gone in to work at all. Balancing college classes, dancing, and work was enough of a challenge for Nico _without _throwing hot and apparently gay guys into the mix. No. No no no.

After all, Nico had decided after his last shitty attempt at romance that nothing would ever be put in front of dancing again. Nothing that would even partially distract Nico from dance could be tolerated.

And that giant dorky blond had "distraction" written all over him.

Gods, it had sure taken Nico long enough to get his bearings, though. Yes, Nico always lacked the same grace in his actual life that he had while dancing, but he normally didn't stumble over his own feet at the sight of an attractive guy. Okay, a _really _attractive guy. Shit, how did anyone make a hoodie and sweatpants and glasses look good? Was he a college student or a damn Abercrombie model? And how could a guy that looked _that _good ever look at Nico and want to ask _him _on a date? Nico, who had undoubtedly looked like a sweaty mess.

Jason probably had an ulterior motive, which was even more the reason to say no. Nico had more dignity than that.

Now, that didn't make him want to jump the blond guy's bones any less, but he'd keep trying to convince himself otherwise. Nico's sex drive did not control him. He wouldn't let that happen.

There was simply no time for Jason Grace in Nico's world, and that was life.

Still, Nico couldn't help but think about the guy the entire walk back to his apartment.

When he arrived home, Nico found his roommate Reyna angrily flipping the pages of a textbook.

"Careful, or you'll rip a page," Nico teased, kicking off his shoes. Reyna evil-eyed him.

"I hate this class," she lamented. "How was work?"

Nico shrugged, passing by the couch and heading for his bedroom. "Fine," he lied.

"Uh huh, what happened?" Reyna said, stopping Nico with the power of her words. Sometimes Nico hated having such an insightful best friend. If Percy were his roommate, Nico could get anything past him. Though, he supposed Percy was distracted by other things these days. Or rather, people.

"It's nothing, really. Some guy was picking up his niece and he tried to flirt with me, I guess."

"You guess?" She raised an eyebrow at him.

"Shouldn't you be studying or something?" Nico asked, nodding at her discarded textbook and trying not to picture Jason's intense blue eyes or irresistibly dorky smile.

"Was he hot?"

"Maybe a little. Doesn't matter anyway."

"When's the last time you went on a date?"

"When's the last time _you _want on a date," he retorted.

"Fair enough," she conceded. "Though, to be fair, _I _don't have apparently attractive men hitting on me."

"I told you, it really wasn't anything. Don't make a big deal of it."

Reyna shrugged and picked her book back up. "Okay, if you say so. But if you do want to talk…"

"Yeah yeah, you'll be the first person I go to."

Sometimes Reyna acted like more of a big sister to Nico than his own big sister. Ironic, since Nico and Reyna were actually the same age. In the over five years Nico and Reyna had been friends, Reyna had made it her job to look out for Nico in all aspects of life—dating included.

Octavian probably still couldn't chew right.

Nico shook the thought away. He didn't let his mind wander down _that _path anymore.

Reyna had gone back to studying, so Nico retreated to his bedroom.

He'd told Reyna what happened with Jason earlier hadn't been a big deal, but didn't know how true that statement actually was.

Jason could present a problem if he continued to pursue Nico. Just a minute long conversation with the guy and Nico had been playing it back in his head for the last hour. The gods only knew what would happen if they spoke a second time. Though, maybe Nico was getting worried over nothing. In the five months that he'd been teaching Zoë Grace, this was the first time Nico laid eyes on her sexy uncle, and it was likely to be the last time, unless Jason turned into a first grade girl and enrolled in the class.

_Crisis averted, then. I'll never have to see him again._

Or at least, so he thought.

* * *

_A/N: This chapter is just kind of setting everything up, the other ones will probably be longer. If this is the first time reading a story by me, I'd like to take this opportunity to go ahead and tell you to follow me on tumblr at nephilimgirlbooks. I always say when I'm updating my fics plus I post teasers and it's a great way to contact me. I always tag posts about my writing as #nephilimgirlbooks. This fic can also be found on AO3 at CarleeAdison. Okay, I hope I'm not forgetting anything. Oh! A note to all my Murder Suspect readers, check my author page or my tumblr account in the next day or so for a surprise ;)_


	2. Totally Not Stalking You

**Chapter Two: Totally Not Stalking You**

Nico. Nico. Nico. Nico. The name rattled through Jason's brain all hours of the day. Thoughts of the gorgeous dancer plagued him all weekend long. He hadn't been so intrigued by someone since…

Ever.

Jason needed to know more about the boy. What did he like to do when he wasn't dancing? What made him laugh? Did he like going out for dinner or eating in? Was he into blonds?

Hell, Jason didn't even know his last name.

He had to see him again. And soon.

By Monday morning, Jason decided to call Thalia. "When does Zoë have dance class again?" He said as a greeting immediately after his sister answered the phone.

Thalia laughed. "She dances every Tuesday and Thursday from six to seven. Planning on seeing Nico again?"

Jason nodded before realizing that the dark-haired girl couldn't see him. "And this time I'm going to be prepared. I have to show him I'm capable of not looking like a slob and talking like an idiot."

"Well, you know, I guess I could let you pick her up from dance tomorrow evening. Maybe Hylla and I will go get drinks or something." Hylla and Thalia worked together and often went out for girls' nights in which they got drinks and talked shit about coworkers, something Jason only knew because he was the babysitter on those nights.

"Yeah, I think I could make time in my schedule to pick her up," Jason replied, unable to stop the huge smile from forming on his face. In just over a day, Jason would get to see his dancer again.

"I thought you'd say that."

…

Jason groaned and threw the shirt to the bed, where it joined the pile of rejects. He didn't want to look like he was trying _too _hard to look good for Nico, but he also wanted to actually look good. What kind of shirt said "I know you tried to shrug me off but you're so damn hot so please just go out with me. Oh, and can we fuck?"

A button down was too much. A polo was _way _too douchebaggy. But was just a cotton t-shirt too plain? Fuck everything. Jason was never going to get in that boy's pants.

It was time to call in reinforcements. He pulled out his cellphone.

"Hello?" A cheery voice answered.

"Piper, come upstairs, code red."

"Give me about…. Forty-three seconds." She hung up.

By the time Jason had crossed his apartment to the front door and opened it, he could hear his friend's footsteps rounding the corner. "What's up?" Piper McLean asked, tightening her ponytail and inviting herself into the apartment. Jason smiled to himself and shut the door. In the few years they'd known each other, he had always been able to go to Piper with any kind of relationship problem.

The freshman girl who had talked herself into a sophomore dorm as a freshman, Jason had decided, could do just about anything. "I met a guy."

Piper whipped her head to stare at him, her dark ponytail flying out behind her. "Get the fuck out, when?"

"Thursday. He's a dance major and he teaches Zoë's dance class. His name is Nico. He's so fucking hot, Pipes."

"This is awesome! Why the code red?" She plopped down on Jason's couch.

"I have lost my ability to talk to guys. And I was awkward as fuck and just so uncool and I tried to ask him out."

"He rejected you, I'm guessing?" She crossed her legs and propped up her head with her hand, watching Jason with complete focus.

Jason nodded miserably. "So I'm picking up Zoë from dance again today and this time I have to look good and act like I'm not a complete idiot. Help me!"

She gave an understanding nod and rose from the couch. "Follow me."

They made their way back to Jason's room. Piper still wore her yoga pants and jacket, so she had probably taught a class at the student gym that afternoon. Even though her father made more than enough to pay for her education, Piper preferred to earn her own spending money. Although, Jason suspected she also did it to make their mutual friend, Leo—who had to work as a mechanic part time in order to afford university—feel like less of an outcast.

Piper began to sift through the shirts strewn across Jason's bed. "Hmmm," she hummed, tapping her chin thoughtfully. "If you want to look like a pretentious asshole, go with the Polo. If you want to look like _Jason,_"she crossed to his closet and withdrew a navy cotton t-shirt, "Wear this."

Jason raised an eyebrow. "That's just a t-shirt."

"A t-shirt that will show off your arms. You may barely go out but you don't skip out on the gym," she laughed. "Let Dancer Boy see your muscles. And wear these jeans," she held out a pair of jeans that Jason probably hadn't worn in months. Actually, when was the last time he wore _any _of his jeans?

Jason headed to the bathroom to try on the attire Piper had selected along with his contact lenses.

Looking in the mirror, Jason found that he almost resembled his previous self. The Jason Grace that went out to parties and met guys and got laid. What had ever happened to that Jason? He exited the bathroom hesitantly.

Piper clapped and whistled. "Who is that hot man over there?"

"Shut up," he mumbled, feeling his face heat up.

"I'm sorry, it's just refreshing to see you pursuing something other than your grades."

He rolled his eyes, trying to will his blush away. "It's probably not going to change anything. He rejected me."

"You said you just flubbed over your words and acted like an idiot. How about this time you just try to be yourself?"

Jason shook his head and sat on the bed. "You haven't seen him. Just being around him turns me into a nervous wreck. And watching him _dance. _Fuck."

"Whoa, horsey. I'm sure he's just a normal guy. No need to put him on a pedestal, right?"

Jason recalled the way Nico had moved across the dance floor, the way his body had seemed like liquid. The absolute focus in his nearly black eyes. However, this same boy had also tripped coming out of the room and spoke in an abrupt and uncomfortable manner. Maybe no one was flawless. Jason could talk to him. Jason could be himself.

He only hoped that being himself would be enough.

…

Nico had never exactly dreamed of instructing six year olds to chasse, but he supposed there were worse ways to make money. The studio paid him well enough, and allowed him to use the studio for his own practicing before or after lessons whenever he pleased.

Plus, the little girls respected him, they looked up to him. It was refreshing, considering no one else did. Being a gay teenage dance major didn't earn him much credit among adults. And by much, he meant not at all. In fact, he'd fought with his father about pursuing dance ever since he was thirteen years old. If it hadn't been for the influence of Persephone, Nico's stepmother, he would likely be pre-med and pulling his hair out like his friend Will.

Today however, Nico didn't enjoy his job so much. Each time his eyes fell on Zoë Grace, he was reminded of her uncle. _"Do you… date?" _The words reverberated through his skull.

Focus. He needed to focus. The lesson was almost over, so Nico had the girls run through the routine one last time. Luckily, thoughts of Jason hadn't tampered with Nico's ability to dance. Yet.

"Okay, girls, on Thursday we're going to learn the last portion of the routine."

"Mr. Nico, when do we get our new costumes?" Lacy asked, tugging anxiously on her braid.

"Not for a few more weeks, Lacy," Nico replied, patting her head gently.

"Awwww, I want them _noooow._"

"It's okay, Lacy," Zoë piped up, "Maybe they're just taking the time to add extra sparkles."

She looked like Thalia, with her black hair and fair skin. But her eyes also looked just like her mother's, whose eyes looked just like her brother's. Holy shit, five days and Nico still couldn't help but think of him. Being back in the dance studio certainly didn't help.

The young girls began heading for the door, laughing and skipping and talking about the apparently never-ending drama of first grade.

Nico followed out behind them, smirking at the realization that six year olds and college students weren't as different as one might think.

He'd barely stepped out of the room when he saw him. _Him _him. Jason Fucking Grace talking to his niece, even more stupidly good looking than before. Apparently, he'd decided to not wear his pajamas today, and holy shit did it ever pay off. His sweatpants and hoodie hadn't properly showcased his strong chest, his muscular arms, his perfectly shaped a—

Nico averted his eyes. _Don't check him out. Don't. You. Dare._

Why had he come back? Was it really so much for Thalia to come pick up her own kid? Fuck. Fuck. _Fuck. _

He wasnot going to talk to him. He was not going to talk to him. He was _not _going to—

"Hey," the last voice Nico wanted to hear greeted. Nico glanced up and there was the blond, just two feet in front of him with a nervous smile on his face that was so endearing it ought to be illegal.

"You're back," Nico said distastefully, taking a chance and meeting the gorgeous guy's eyes. He just had to be as unfriendly and clear as possible. Then Jason would get it, right? Gods, Nico hoped so.

_I don't need your dorky smile distracting me. Get lost, hot person. _

"I think we got off on the wrong foot last week, I wanted to apologize."

"Not used to getting rejected?" Nico inquired, raising an eyebrow and crossing his arms.

Jason gave a nervous laugh. "I don't talk to guys very often. I mean, except for my best friend Leo, but I don't mean like friend guys, I mean like—"

"You talk a lot," Nico noted, brushing past the taller male. _Just walk away, Nico. Avoid conversation._

"I think I came on a little strong last week, and I'd like a chance to start over," Jason said, following after him.

Nico glanced at the mothers around them, hoping like hell that none of them were listening in on this conversation. He could already tell by the way most of them looked at him that they weren't Nico di Angelo fans.

He turned around with a sigh. "Jason, I already told you I don't date relatives of my students."

"Then it won't be a date," Jason said. "What about friendly coffee? I could use another friend."

Zoë sat in the corner happily playing on an iPhone. Probably Jason's. The evil genius. Nico could really use the distraction of that little six year old about now.

"Pass. I'm busy, and I have plenty of friends." What would it take? Nico worried that if the blond hung around much longer, he'd pull him into the storage closet and do unspeakable things. He had a little scar on his lip, Nico now noticed, and God if that wasn't the hottest thing. Nico wanted to lick it.

_FUCK!_

He just _had _to be a damn blond, didn't he?

"What if I said please?"

"Goodbye, Jason." He turned and retreated back into the dance room, practically slamming the door behind him.

…

Nico didn't leave the dance studio until well after ten o'clock. After all, he had routines of his own to work on. He had a recital in just over a month in San Francisco that he had to nail. If Nico had a hope of making it in the dancing world after college he had to stay absolutely focused on practicing. Being good—the best in his class, even, according to one of his instructors—was not enough.

Then of course, there was the statewide contest in February. _Octavian _would be there, without a doubt in Nico's mind. He hadn't seen him since last February, and he would be more than happy to never see the bastard again.

Though, Nico didn't exactly have a history of things going his way, did he?

He sighed.

…

"He makes me so mad!" Jason said, barging into Thalia's home that night.

Thalia and Hylla sat on the couch, sipping wine—Thalia's favorite pastime, apparently.

"Hi, Jason," Hylla greeted, pouring herself another glass. "Hey, Zoë!"

The six year old smiled shyly, only looking up from her game on Jason's cell phone momentarily.

"Things didn't go so well with Nico, I'm guessing?" Thalia frowned, rising from the couch and making her way to her younger brother.

"Still pursuing the dance teacher?" Hylla asked. Of course. Jason should have known his sister would discuss his romantic life with her. They discussed everything.

He decided he'd chew her out for it… later. "It's useless. He doesn't even want to try to be my friend, let alone let me take him out."

"What if you got Mr. Nico some flowers?" Zoë piped up, not at all phased by the idea of her uncle wanting to date her dance teacher.

"I don't know if flowers will do me much good, Shorty," he sighed.

"Oh, I bet he'll lighten up eventually," Thalia said, a strange smile on her face. "Those Grace blue eyes can get you anywhere in life.

"Who knows, deep down this kid might even want you just as much as you want him," Hylla added, to which Jason snorted.

"Yeah, doubtful."

…

Nico was about ninety percent sure that whatever his professor was lecturing on would be on his final.

Luckily, he had absorbed zero percent of the man's words.

Looking down at his notebook to check if—by some miracle—his brain had taken notes for him, Nico instead realized the he'd absentmindedly been sketching Jason's eyes across the lined page.

Damn it. Damn it.

Now the blond distracted Nico in class, too?

He frowned at the picture. They were Jason's eyes, but they weren't the hypnotic blue color. Just stupid pencil shading. Why it bothered him, Nico didn't know.

Actually, he didn't know much of anything when it came to Jason Grace.

Okay, staring at those pencil shaded eyes was going to just piss him off. Nico withdrew his cell phone from his pocket and searched the stupid idiot's name, tacking _Berkeley, CA _to the end in case any other Jason Graces were floating around.

Articles from high school and social network profiles appeared before his eyes, accompanied with dozens of image results. But, rather than indulge himself and scroll through the photos for the rest of class, Nico dropped the phone like a hot coal. No way was he going to stoop to internet stalking a guy, especially not one that had the potential to fuck up all of Nico's plans.

_Goodbye, Jason Grace. _He tore the page from his notebook and started to shred it methodically between his fingers. _You are not a part of my life. _

Unfortunately, Nico realized he did know one thing about Jason Grace, after all. He'd be back.

…

Nico di Angelo. That was his full name, as stated on Olympic Dance Studio's website_. Nico di Angelo. _Jason could say it out loud over and over again without his tongue or lips tiring. Just when he thought the dancer couldn't get any hotter, he had to go and have a full name that sounded like fucking music.

Nico di Angelo, as fate would have it, was the only person on the internet with that name. He didn't seem to have much in the area of websites and personal life, but there were plenty of pictures of him at dance competitions, and even a few videos—though Jason wasn't sure if it was right to ogle Nico in them considering that many of the videos were over two years old and Nico was probably just an underage high schooler then.

Holy shit, this boy danced his ass off. Trophies, huge competitions, scholarship money, the whole shebang. The only accomplishment Jason had ever laid claim to was his GPA. Nico had… talent. _Serious _talent.

Jason's face felt unnaturally warm and he realized that he'd started blushing, which was actually pretty lame of him. Here he was, blushing like an idiot at just _pictures _of Nico. Gods only knew how he would talk to him tomorrow—he would be dropping off _and _picking up Zoë this time.

Jason thought back to the previous day. He'd tried being himself and it failed, hadn't it? Now Jason questioned whether he'd shown his true self at all. What did Nico actually know about Jason, other than the fact that Jason was an idiot with a Nico fixation.

Nothing, really.

No wonder Nico didn't seem interested in even going out for coffee. Who wanted to spend time with a guy they knew nothing about?

The problem remained, however, that Nico didn't even seem interested at all in getting to know who Jason really was as a person. It was maddening.

_Somehow, _he promised himself, _somehow I'll convince Nico that I'm worth his time. _

…

Jason had told himself that he wouldn't stand around with the cluster of soccer moms and watch the entire sixty minute rehearsal.

He'd been a dirty liar.

The middle aged women didn't quite know what to make of him, but Jason just ignored them. He found that there were better things to watch. Like gorgeous male dancers, for instance.

_When he comes out, _Jason reminded himself, _be yourself. Don't just fall at his feet._

As it turned out, Nico didn't dance for most of the lesson. He taught the moves, but then walked around to make sure all of the girls were getting them right. Still, even when he wasn't dancing, Jason could feel that this was Nico's element. He stood taller, he smiled, he didn't have that "I hate my life look" that many of the moms around Jason wore. Jason could barely take his eyes off of him.

There were two Nico di Angelos, Jason realized. The indifferent, somewhat hostile, and awkward college student who hated attention, and the bold, graceful dancer who commanded it. While the latter certainly had caught Jason's attention more, something about the passive aggressive Nico who tripped on flat surfaces drew him in as well.

Something about Nico was just so… interesting. When Jason laid eyes on the confident, dancer Nico, his physical attraction took over his entire body and he could barely focus. But with everyday Nico, Jason felt an emotional attraction. The kind that made him want to listen to Nico talk for hours on end. Jason longed to have real conversations with him, to discover what made him tick.

He also wanted Nico in his bed, he couldn't deny that, but there was more to it. Jason hadn't felt this way in a long time, and especially not about someone he hardly knew. But it felt right. And good. Definitely good.

Now if he could just not completely blow it…

…

_Of course. Fucking of course. _

When Nico cleared the dance room, Jason was there again, hoisting Zoë off the ground and flipping her upside down. The six year old laughed wildly and started banging her fists on the blond's chest.

Nico bit his lip. _Don't damage that glorious body, _he thought, unable to stop himself.

Jason, apparently feeling Nico's stare, flashed the younger boy a bright grin before returning all of his attention to his niece.

Oh, so he just so _happened_ to be picking her up for the third time in a week? And he _wasn't _here to continue to harass Nico? Yeah, totally believable.

Whatever it was that Jason hoped to get from Nico, he sure was persistent about it. But still, Nico wasn't going to give up his promise not to date in university just because some cheeky blond was a good uncle.

Nico had to put a stop to this. Once and for all. He swallowed hard and approached the pair, focusing on putting one foot in front of the other. He would not trip in front of Jason again. No way.

Jason had turned his back some to help Zoë collect her things, so Nico cleared his throat. Jason turned, looking pleased but also mildly surprised at Nico's sudden arrival. "Nico, hey."

"We need to talk," Nico said.

Jason's eyebrows rose. "You—I—we do?"

Nico motioned for Jason to follow him, and with a quick "I'll be right back" to his niece, he followed Nico all the way down the hall, where Nico opened the door to the storage closet and ushered him inside.

When the light flipped on, Nico realized maybe this wasn't the best place to chat. Jason was so close Nico could hear him breathing, and there were no witnesses around. He could jump Jason that instant and no one would be the wiser.

_Get a hold of yourself. _

"Cozy," Jason murmured, absolutely frozen in place.

Why had Nico brought him in here again?

"You know, I thought 'we need to talk' would involve a little more talking," Jason mused, shifting nervously now from foot to foot.

Oh, right, talk.

"I need you to stop this. Whatever game you're playing. I have to work. I can't just have you popping up here all the time and distracting me," he frowned at the taller male.

Surprisingly, Jason's lips curled up in a smile. "I distract you?"

_Backpedal. Backpedal. _Nico hoped like Hell he didn't start blushing. "I mean, by always trying to talk to me and stuff. It's a distraction."

Jason's smile didn't falter though. "I'm not trying to play any game, you know. I just want to get to know you."

No one ever just wanted to get to know Nico. Jason had to have some ulterior motive. The only time guys took interest in Nico, they were trying to sabotage him. Throw him off right before a major performance or something along those lines. But Jason didn't even dance. "Just stop, okay? Leave me alone. I like to be on my own." He stepped back for emphasis, forgetting the size of the closet they were in and accidently crashing into a unit of shelves.

"Careful," Jason said, reaching out to steady Nico. His hands closed down on Nico's shoulders and what felt like an electric jolt shot through Nico's body. _Holy shit._

Nico touched people all the time. It never—not even once—felt like _that. _

Jason might have felt it too, by the way his eyes widened.

"So uh, stop this flirting business, or whatever it is. It's not appropriate and I'm not interested."

He scurried out of the closet before the blond could utter a word.

…

"How do we know these people again?" Jason asked for the thousandth time as they pulled up outside the house. It was Friday night and Piper had decided the best way to get Jason back to his old and "more likable" self was to drag him to some party and have him flirt with the guys there.

"Oh, we don't really know them. These two guys in my yoga class invited me."

"And it's their party?" Jason sighed, parking way at the end of the car-lined street.

"No, it's their friends' party. Percy Jackson and Luke something."

"Those are the yoga guys?"

"No, those are the hosts. But hey, I happen to know that Will—he's one of the yoga guys—is bisexual, and he's pretty cute. His friend Eros is gay too, but he seems like a little much for you. He's—feisty, to say the least."

Jason nodded, barely registering her words. He didn't care about Will and Eric or whatever their names were. Although, it would probably do him some good to get laid. Maybe then he would stop obsessing so hard over Nico.

Then again, he wondered if sex with some random stranger would make him forget the ridiculous energy he'd felt the instant he touched Nico. Jason had heard people talk about having a spark with someone, but he never considered that it could actually feel that way. He wanted to touch Nico again, to see if that same crazy attraction would pulse through his veins like the first time. He wanted to pull Nico closer, kiss his neck, his lips, his chest, his back, his—

"Do you plan on actually getting out of this car at some point?" Piper asked, flicking the side of Jason's head.

He jolted back to attention, shaking away all thoughts of Nico for the time being. "Right, let's go in, I guess."

…

Nico hated parties. Normally he wouldn't bother with them at all. His Friday nights were better spent at the studio, not in some crowded house full of enough alcohol to drown a whale. Tonight he didn't have much of a choice though. It was at Percy and Luke's house, and his two friends—okay it was really just Percy—had been pestering him about it all week.

"I want to see you, man," he'd said over the phone. "I feel like you're a ghost these days."

Nico had known Percy for almost ten years and not once in those ten years had he been able to say no to him. Percy Jackson—who once upon a time had been the boy of Nico's dreams. Perhaps the only good thing that Nico had ever got out of his relationship with Octavian was that it had successfully killed the Percy crush.

Still, that didn't erase the platonic love that Nico felt for his idiotic and hopelessly heterosexual friend. So, if he asked Nico to appear at one party a semester, he supposed he could live with that.

"At least act like you're having fun," Will said, placing a beer in Nico's hand. Nico crinkled his nose and sat the can down on a nearby table immediately.

"I hate beer," he scowled. What he didn't bring up was that the last time he'd gotten drunk around Will, he'd ended up sleeping with him. That was a mistake Nico did not intend to repeat again. As they'd both agreed the night it happened—after they'd sobered up, of course—they were simply much better off as friends.

"Luke says he doesn't trust you with anything stronger," Will informed, sipping his own beer.

"Yeah, well Luke's an asshat. He also says that he can't stand the French."

Will smirked, "Speaking of which, you seen Eros anywhere? Or Luke… for that matter?"

"You could try checking the bedrooms but… I wouldn't," Nico retorted. For a second, he was almost having a good time.

"Oh, I think I see Piper! She actually delivered!"

"Who?" Nico asked, weighing the pros and cons of just drinking the damn beer.

"She teaches yoga at the gym"—yoga was one of Will's favorite stress relievers, second only to sex, he was really big on stress relief—"and I invited her a few days ago. She said she'd bring her hot gay friend." His eyes went off into the crowd again. "She didn't lie about the hot part. Fuck."

Nico, officially bored with the conversation, decided to scoot off before Will started his spiel once again of how Nico _needed _to accompany him and Eros to yoga one day. "I'm going to go find Reyna," he announced, deciding to take the can of beer with him. He may end up needing it.

…

Socializing was exhausting. Jason hadn't even been talking to the surfer looking guy—Will, he reminded himself—for five minutes before he needed some air.

"I'll be back," he muttered, making his way toward the nearest door. It turned out to be the back door, but Jason didn't care. As long as it wasn't as crowded as the inside of that house.

The October night air was cooler than usual, which Jason appreciated. He'd started to feel sweaty in there, packed tight against so many moving bodies. There were some idiots by the fence cheering on their friend while he did a keg stand, but other than that, the yard was peaceful. Jason stood on a small porch with a few steps leading down to the grass—he used the term grass loosely.

It wasn't until then that Jason realized there was another person in the yard he hadn't noticed upon first glance. On the bottom step sat a boy, his back to Jason. He appeared to be watching the loud idiots with their keg.

"Taking a break?" Jason asked, leaning against the porch railing. The boy stiffened and turned immediately to the sound of Jason's voice.

That's when Jason's jaw practically hit the porch. The messy dark hair, the pale skin, the dark, alluring eyes… "Nico?"

Nico di Angelo sat two feet in front of him, almost as if he'd sprung straight from Jason's dreams and into the backyard.

"What the hell are you doing here? Are you officially stalking me now?" Nico accused, rage in his eyes.

"No, I swear. My friend dragged me here, actually. She says I need to get out more, or something."

"Oh," Nico said, his glare softening.

"I will admit, it's a small world," Jason could hardly believe his luck.

Nico, however, did not seem to feel the same way. "Or, you know, it could be the fact that we go to the same school and it's possible that we have overlapping friends."

"You're really opposed to having even a little conversation with me, aren't you? We're not even at Olympic anymore."

"It's nothing personal… probably," Nico smirked up at the blond for half a second before apparently thinking better of it.

_Smirk at me again, holy shit yes._ "Can I sit?"

"If you really want to, I guess," Nico shrugged, scooting as far to the right of the step as he could. It was then that Jason noticed Nico's clothes. He'd only ever seen the boy in dancewear, but tonight Nico di Angelo donned a pair of ripped black jeans and a black and charcoal striped t-shirt. It was a good look on him. No, good was putting it mildly. Nico looked like sex_. _

"So, why aren't you inside having fun?" Jason prompted, trying to think more with his head and less with his dick.

"I was looking for my best friend, but I don't know where she went. So I came out here. What about you?"

Nico was… responding to conversation? Fuck, he was even making eye contact. Fucking eye contact.

_Play it cool, Grace. _"Hot." He blurted.

A raised eyebrow from Nico made Jason realize what a stupid fucking response that had been. "It was really hot in there. And loud. And cramped. Not my favorite trio."

_Good save, good save. _

"Do you want this?" Nico asked suddenly, holding up a can of beer. "My friend gave it to me, but I haven't had any of it. Not much of a beer person."

Jason shook his head. "I have to drive. And I don't drink much anyway."

"Yeah… same. Hangovers and ballet do not mix well."

"I thought you did jazz," Jason said. Fuck, did Jason really no so little about dance?

Nico almost laughed. "I'm literally majoring in dance, Jason. I do everything."

Jason couldn't decide what sounded better, his name coming out of Nico's mouth or the last three words. _Define 'everything,' _he wanted to say.

"That must be really cool. Majoring in dance."

"Not if I can't make a career out of it," Nico shrugged, staring across the yard.

"You're talking to someone who is trying getting a master's degree in _classic studies. _My father still thinks I'm insane."

Another smile found its way onto Nico's lips. Jason felt like melting right into the ground. "The impractical majors porch, for impractical college students," Nico proclaimed sarcastically.

"But you're not impractical," Jason argued. "You're _really _good. Phenomenal, even."

Nico gave the blond a curious look. "You've seen me teach six and seven year old girls choreography, how does that qualify me as phenomenal?"

What was the non-creepy way to tell someone you internet searched them? "Uh, I—you—it's just—well—" he exhaled deeply, "the internet."

"So you _are _officially stalking me," Nico concluded.

"That—that's irrelevant," Jason blushed. "You're a great dancer, is what I was saying. I'm surprised you're not at like, some fancy conservatory or something."

Nico decided to drop the issue of internet searching, at least for the time being. "My dad said the only way I could pursue dance after high school was if I went to a full four-year university. He's never been so enthusiastic about dancing… but that really doesn't matter." Nico stood abruptly. "It looks like it might rain soon, I should go find Reyna. Maybe she's ready to leave." For the second day in a row, the dark haired boy left before Jason could get a word in.

…

"Hey, Nico! Where you been, buddy?" Will said, appearing from nowhere and clapping Nico on the shoulder. "Reyna was looking for you. She got one of her killer migraines and had to go home."

Oh great. Fucking perfect. There went Nico's escape-from-the-hot-blond-you-have-a-tendency-to-overshare-around plan.

"So how do I get home?" He asked, scanning the room with his eyes in case Jason decided to pop back up. Maybe Nico could handle a party for one night, but not with Jason Distraction Grace floating around.

Jason had taken the time to watch videos of Nico dancing. Nico couldn't even remember the last time his father had come to one of his performances, and this guy he barely knew had spent who knew how long pouring through old YouTube videos. Nico wanted to punch the blond. He also wanted to rip his clothes off… but that was really beside the point.

"I could give you a ride," Will offered. Nico rolled his eyes. The future doctor was already hopelessly drunk.

"Pass," Nico scrunched his nose. "You're wasted."

"Pshh, I feel fine. I could perform surgery right now if I wanted to."

"I wouldn't even let you bandage my scraped elbow right now."

"Maybe Percy and Luke will let you crash here," Will shrugged. "You could share a bed with Percy." He winked as if this were the most innovative idea since the wheel.

"I'm trying to _leave _the party, idiot."

"But it would be more fun if you stayed! Eros is busy with his not-boyfriend. You gonna leave me all alone?" Will pouted.

Nico saw Jason's blond head across the room—it wasn't hard, the guy was over six feet tall. Time was running out for Nico to make a getaway. Screw it, Nico could walk home. It was what—three miles? He'd walked longer distances than that. "Socialize. You are exceptional at making new friends. Now go forth, or whatever." He shoved past his friend and headed for the door.

…

"He's here, Piper!" Jason exclaimed upon relocating his friend. She was talking to some tall dark haired guy that Jason hadn't seen before. He was attractive, gorgeous even, with the black hair and green eyes and white smile, but not really Jason's type, just like Will hadn't been his type.

To be fair, however, Jason's type was currently short sassy dark haired dancers.

"Who?" She yelled over the music. "By the way, this is Percy. He's one of the hosts!"

"Sup," Percy nodded. Jason nodded his way and turned back to Piper.

"Nico! The dance teacher!" Jason's eyes circled the room, "Or well, he was here. He disappeared." At that, Jason's smile fell a little. They'd been having an _actual _conversation before Nico had made his abrupt departure.

"That's awesome!" Piper whooped, hugging her best friend. "Guessing you didn't get in his pants yet?"

"Wait wait wait, you guys talking about Nico di Angelo? About yea high?" Percy held up his hand to about Nico's height.

"Yes," Jason answered immediately, stepping toward the party host. "Do you know where he went?"

"I think he left. I just saw him walking out, and he didn't even say bye to me. Don't know how he's planning on getting home though, his ride is long gone."

Jason didn't like the sound of that. "I came inside just a few minutes ago because it started raining."

Percy shrugged. Jason shot Piper a panicked look, "I should—"

"Go. I'll have Drew pick me up. Bitch owes me one."

Normally, Jason hated Piper's half-sister, but tonight he could not be any happier about her existence. "Call you tomorrow!" He promised, already pushing through the mass of people.

…

Nico had been right about the rain. Fuck, had he ever been right. By the time he made it to the end of the street, he was soaked through his clothes. Wet denim was a real bitch. If Nico started chafing he'd be pissed.

How the hell had the rain come so quickly?

With his luck, his phone was already drowning in the pocket of his jeans. Nico groaned. Maybe he should have just stayed at the damn party. Making an ass of himself around Jason Grace was preferable to this, right?

A car horn beeped behind him, startling Nico from his thoughts. "I think it's a little wet outside," the driver called, rolling down his window.

"Jason," Nico wasn't even surprised at this point. "I too, noticed the rain. But good observation."

"Don't suppose you'd like a ride home in my warm, dry car?"

Hadn't he decided not even a minute ago that spending time with Jason was better than getting rained on? Nico supposed he'd know for sure soon enough. "Don't suppose you'll keep your mouth shut the whole way if I say yes?" He smirked without meaning to. Fuck, that didn't come across as flirty, did it?

"Probably not, but the invitation is still open. I promise I don't bite."

_A damn shame. _

_Wait, no. _

Nico swallowed his pride and ran around the vehicle to get in the passenger seat. "Thanks," he mumbled. He gave Jason directions to his apartment building which, thankfully, wouldn't be too long of a drive.

"What happened to your ride?" Jason inquired, turning left off of Percy's street.

"Reyna, my best friend, she got sick and so she left."

"My best friend's a girl, too. Piper. She's only a senior this year, though."

Piper. What about that name sounded familiar all of a sudden?

"Yeah, so is Reyna."

"What year are you, by the way?"

"I'm a sophomore, I'll be twenty in January." Jason hadn't asked about when Nico was born. He just couldn't stop over-sharing, could he? Whether Nico liked it or not, Jason was easy to talk to. At least, easy in a holy-shit-why-are-there-so-many-butterflies-in-my-stomach-I'm-not-supposed-to-like-anyone sort of way.

Jason opened his mouth to say something but Nico cut him off. "I know, I look younger than I am. A few weeks ago one of the moms at Olympic asked if I was graduating high school this year."

The blond laughed. "That's not what I was going to say. I was going to say that I just turned twenty-two in July."

Nico was glad that the darkness of the car could conceal his red face. "Oh."

"But I could have believed you were younger than that."

"If I was under eighteen would you have not stalked me?"

"I told you I'm not stalking you," Jason reminded, an easy smile on his lips. He seemed more himself tonight. Laughing, smiling, not so awkward.

"Then how do you explain searching me on the internet?"

"Shh, I was looking you up, that is totally different."

"Totally," came Nico's sarcastic response.

"I don't know if you've noticed, but we've talked twice tonight and you've yet to die from exposure. Maybe I'm not so bad after all…"

"Look, I'm not saying that you aren't probably a perfectly nice guy. But you're wasting your time. And my time, in fact. Absolutely nothing is going to happen between us."

"You don't feel any attraction at all?" Jason questioned, like he couldn't believe it. Nico didn't blame him for doubting, considering how full of shit he was.

It was because Nico felt so much attraction to him that he needed to steer clear of Jason as much as possible. However, if he told Jason that, the blond would likely just try to pursue him more. Nobody but Nico seemed to understand Nico's logic—except for maybe Reyna.

"I—I barely know you."

"That's not an answer," Jason replied softly.

"Dance is my priority."

"That's also not an answer."

"I think you should forget about me."

"It's not a hard question to answer… I'll do it right now. I like you, and I think you might like me too."

The words made Nico freeze. Why did Jason have to do this? Why now, when Nico couldn't even escape.

"Do you want me to tell you that you're hot?" Nico snapped. "Fine. You're really hot! But there's more to life than looks, Jason. And you might think that you like me, but you don't. You like the person you think I am and I can promise you it's not me. And don't think that because I'm your little infatuation of the week I'm going to reciprocate, I don't care how attractive you are."

Jason didn't respond immediately. The smile had completely fled from his face, leaving behind a very thoughtful expression.

"We're almost at your building," he finally said.

Nico nodded, no longer looking at Jason. When the car stopped, Nico gripped the handle. "Thanks for the ride."

"You know, I don't normally… I haven't… It's been over a year… since I met someone who caught my attention. But then I saw you and met you and… I don't know. If you feel that way too, then fine. But if you think that maybe you do… don't brush that feeling aside."

Nico stared at Jason, completely wordless, then stepped out of the vehicle.

…

The rain had stopped, the apartment was silent. If Nico had to guess, it was well after three in the morning, but he hadn't checked his clock. He didn't want to know.

Damn Jason. Damn him. Life had been a hell of a lot easier when nobody took notice of Nico. Nico the person. And he could pretend all day and all night that Jason Grace didn't see that person—that he only saw Nico the dancer and Nico the teacher and Nico the living body—but it would only be that. Pretending.

Because tonight Nico hadn't been anything other than himself, had maybe even been the least likable version of himself, and Jason didn't waver. How anyone could be that interested in him was a mystery, and yet…

Jason was different. Different than anyone Nico had ever known. And maybe he'd only met the guy a week ago, and maybe they hadn't spoken all that much, but Nico _knew. _Jason was different and that made him dangerous.

Damn him. Damn him. Damn him.

Nico rolled over in bed and tried to think of something else, anything other than the way Jason smiled and laughed and switched from laid-back to dead-serious in between seconds.

It didn't work, though.

* * *

_A/N: This chapter was kind of a clusterfuck, I'm sorry. It's one of the only chapters that I didn't have a set plan for and I swear I wrote about three scenes only to hate them and delete them. I hope you liked the final result, though! Back to work on Murder Suspect stuff for me now. The second half of The First Time will be posted next and then that's all finished and I can focus on just two stories. Also, anyone who is familiar with SonOfHades' Children of Loss story may have recognized hints at a particular pairing, I would like to clarify that this was at his suggestion and I am not trying to steal the idea from him. (First mention of your precious Lukeros, hope you're happy, you'll actually see them later on)_


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